Life

Courtesy Cat Bowen
10 Captions For All Those 'Grams Of Your Sleeping Little Babe

by Cat Bowen

Are you even a parent if you don't have at least 30 pictures of your baby sleeping on your phone? I have maybe six times that. They're just so sweet that I can't look down at my sleeping children and not feel as though my heart is growing faster than the Grinch's. It doesn't matter how they've pissed me off that day, if their room's a mess, if their homework is done. Asleep, they're just my babies. And I often post those pics, and you know you do too, so here are some Instagram captions for sleeping babies when you inevitably run out of things to say.

I swear, coming up with things to say on Instagram is getting harder and harder. Between the need for witty hashtags, funny lines, and a cohesive "mood," it's exhausting. There's no shame in getting a little outside help. Here I've compiled some of what has worked best for me. The captions may be funny or sentimental, but they're not overly long or sappy. I pull from all areas of culture, from literature to music, finding inspiration where I can. Once you find your rhythm, they're fun to write, but maybe not as much fun as watching your baby sleep.

1

Napoleon's Famous Quote Works

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“Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world. Or at least my apartment. No, seriously. Let her sleep." #sotired #WakeHerAndIllCutYou #newborn

2

Gaiman For The Win

Courtesy Cat Bowen

I'm a Gaiman superfan, and this poem from The Graveyard Book, is perfect.

“Sleep my little baby-oh

Sleep until you waken

When you wake you'll see the world

If I'm not mistaken...

Kiss a lover

Dance a measure,

Find your name

And buried treasure...

Face your life

Its pain,

Its pleasure,

Leave no path untaken.”

― Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

3

A Little Bit Country

Courtesy Cat Bowen

I frequently sing at my babies as they sleep. I cannot help it. There are just so many songs about going to sleep, and they're so cute. This is a classic by Woody Guthrie.

"Eyes they close, eyes they close

Eyes they close, my little sugar

One had asleep, and two hands asleep

Go to sleep you little sleep eye...

Dream a dream, dream a dream

Dream a dream a little sweeter

A big dream, little dream, got a big dream

Go to sleep you little sleep eye"

― Woody Guthrie, "Sleep Eye."

4

Shakespeare, Because Of Course

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"Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care

The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath

Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,

Chief nourisher in life’s feast." #pleasekeepfeasting #foratleasteighthours

~ William Shakespeare, Macbeth

5

The Truth

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"I would tell you how cute you are, but I won't even risk whispering at this point. Just sleep." #LongDaysShortYears

6

When You're Pinned

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“I don't know why it should be, I am sure; but the sight of another man asleep in bed when I am up, maddens me.” #alldayeveryday #notmad #dontsendhelp

― Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat

7

When The Cute Overwhelms You

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"Afternoon nap? Treat Yo'Self." #ParksAndRec #SleepItOff #NoTimeLikeNapTime

8

Zusak Works Always

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“It was one of those moments of perfect tiredness, of having conquered not only the work at hand, but the night who had blocked the way.”

― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

9

Tilting At Windmills

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"Now, blessings light on him that first invented sleep! It covers a man all over, thoughts and all, like a cloak; it is meat for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, heat for the cold, and cold for the hot. It is the current coin that purchases all the pleasures of the world cheap, and the balance that sets the king and the shepherd, the fool and the wise man, even."

~ Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote

10

Tina Fey Knows What's Up

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"Sleep when your baby sleeps. Everyone knows this classic tip, but I say why stop there? Scream when your baby screams. Take Benadryl when your baby takes Benadryl. And walk around pantless when your baby walks around pantless."

Tina Fey